Less than a month after having the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee repaired, Mettenberger is already able to practice his drops and do some agility drills on a limited basis. He's only able to throw from a stool, but Marucci expects that to change sometime next week.

While Mettenberger knows he's on the lower rungs of the ladder of recovery, it's where he expected to be. And as he looks upward, the only obstacle to reaching the top is time.

"My progress has amazed people but for someone who sets goals as high as I do, I'm not really amazed how far I progressed," Mettenberger said in an exclusive interview Monday. "It's something I expected of myself and how hard I've worked to get as healthy as I've gotten.

"I'm able to do a lot of agility drills, but nothing full speed, running or cutting. I'm doing lateral step ups at a pretty quick rate. (Monday) I started doing slow movement drops. Strength-wise my quad is getting back to where it was and my knee is feeling really good right now."

Mettenberger underwent surgery by LSU team doctor Brent Bankston on Jan. 2, the day after the Tigers' 21-14 victory against Iowa in the Outback Bowl. He could have had it sooner since the injury occurred in LSU's season-ending victory against Arkansas Nov. 29, but wanted to participate in the bowl preparation.Even with the lag time, he expects to recover in time to show his wares to NFL scouts, coaches and officials in time for the NFL draft in May. He has been camped at LSU and working out under the guidance of Marucci, who has overseen swift recoveries from that type of injury before.